Items Mysteriously Taken from Corning Cemetery Tombstones

A group of Corning residents gathered Sunday at Sunset Hill Cemetery to express their concern about some items being allegedly taken from tombstones.

Posted: Sep. 3, 2018 11:31 AM

Updated: Sep. 3, 2018 11:34 AM

Posted By: Jafet Serrato

CORNING, Calif. - A group of Corning residents gathered Sunday at Sunset Hill Cemetery to express their concern about some items being allegedly taken from tombstones.

This all happened after a social media post circulated claiming that an unknown person is removing “momentos” from certain tombstones.

Tiffany Kelley has lived in Corning for years and has at least two relatives buried at the well-kept cemetery including her father, a Vietnam Veteran, who is cremated and placed on top of her brother’s casket.

“We just feel really disrespected by all of this,” Kelley said adding that “we’re broken hearted we feel really disrespected and it’s just wrong how they handled it. They could’ve been more compassionate about it. These aren’t just random things.”

Although it is unknown who removed the items from the tombstones, the group on Saturday says they found some of the items behind an office within the area. The group says angel statues, flowers and crosses were some of the items taken.

Another Corning resident who discovered her relative’s items were missing was Sandy Simon, who has four relatives buried just inches away from each other.

Simon has lost her father Gene, mother Shirley, sister Joyce and her son Bobby, and she was upset about the mysterious action.

“It’s a big surprise and my whole family is here, this is where I come when I feel like I want to talk to them," Simon said. "And I know the things they loved and I want to bring it to them and now I have to worry, is it going to be taken?”

Action News Now has made calls to the Corning Cemetery District to get a comment about the issue and who might be doing this, but have not heard back from them as of Sunday evening.

Some residents Action News Now reporter Jafet Serrato spoke to, told him they would bring up the issue with the Cemetery District.